Online Casino Maximum Bonus Bet Rule Explained

In this Casinoplusbonus guide, you’ll learn about the maximum bonus money rule that is almost always part of all online casino bonuses.

Table of Contents

What is the maximum bet bonus rule?

Before you start claiming casino bonuses, there are two simple points you need to understand when using bonus bets with a maximum bet rule attached:

• It applies to bonus money bets
• You cannot go over the maximum bonus bet stated in the bonus rules
• Going over this maximum will render your bonus invalid

Invalid bonus due to exceeding max bonus bet amount

Exceeding the max bonus bet amount is known as bonus abuse, and there are a couple of caveats that may fool you into thinking the casino has not noticed.

• If you exceed the maximum bonus bet, the casino does not give you a warning despite your bonus being invalid
• If you manage to play through the wagering requirement to convert your bonus into real money, the casino may refuse the conversion.

When does the casino tell you it is bonus abuse? Online casinos do not review your bonus to real money conversion until you meet the wagering requirement. This is when you will be informed that you broke the bonus terms.

Where will I find these rules?

No guide would be complete without helping you find these rules.

• All Casinoplusbonus online casino reviews break down the bonus rules. You will see the max bet in various currencies and whether you bet using real money first or a mix of bonus money and real money.

• The bonus rules page of the online casino you are looking at has a bonus rules or bonus terms page.

• The bonus section in the casino terms and conditions.

Reading bonus rules can be pretty boring, but this is your money and your life, so you’ll find that the due diligence is worthwhile.

How the max bet rule can vary

There is some confusion over how the max bet works with different casino bonuses. In this section, we’ll explain other bonus rules to ensure you understand when the maximum bonus money bet matters.

Don’t worry too much because they are fairly easy to understand once you know what you are looking for.

1. Real money bets before bonus money Rule

Most casino bonuses will use your real money balance before your bonus money kicks in.

Here are some interesting points to note while playing this type of bonus:

• While using real money bets, you can bet as much as you like.
• The max bonus bet rule only kicks if you lose your real money balance.

This is the most common type of bonus at Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and Curacao online casinos. Your bonus money balance is effective as a backup or insurance in case you lose your real money balance.

• Another rule to take note of is that real money bets do not count towards your wagering requirement. Only bets using bonus money will be subtracted from your wagering requirement.

Bankroll Management: Don’t forget to use proper bankroll management, and don’t use the bonus as an excuse to make high bets.

2. 50/50 Real Money and Bonus Money Rule

In UK online casinos operating under the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), it is not uncommon for casinos to split your bets into 50% real money and 50% bonus money.

Here are some interesting points to note while playing this type of bonus:

• The maximum bonus bet bonus rule does apply to this type of bonus.
• All bets count toward the wagering requirement while your bonus is active.

One word of advice, and that is to be very careful with this rule. There are a small number of online casinos that will use the 50/50 rule and specifically state in the T&Cs that the real money portation of your bet does not count towards wagering.

You will find that quite a few online casinos in the UK do not have a maximum bonus bet. However, most do, so once again, make sure you read the bonus terms.

Why do online casinos put a maximum bet rule in place?

This needs a little attention to detail, but you’ll grasp it quickly. The history behind the max bonus bet goes back to when the casino first came online.

There was a growing issue of bonus hunters. Early-day online casinos didn’t discover there were holes in their bonus rules that allowed players to exploit them, and they lost plenty of money before growing wise to it.

Reducing the number of bonus hunters

The key reason is to stop people bonus hunting. You can learn more about bonus hunting via the ‘What is bonus hunting and why do casinos frown upon it?’

To give you the simple version, bonus hunters will jump from casino to casino, claiming no deposit bonuses and bonus codes. They place large bets, hoping to win a large balance, and if their high bonus bets lose, the bonus hunters will skip to another casino and try again.

Casinos are all about player retention and don’t want the constant flurry of sign-ups from bonus hunters taking up tech resources to see if they can game the system.

Stopping large bets

In short, the max bet rule stops you from winning large bets, building up a hefty bonus balance and then reducing your spin bet amount to guarantee you play through the wager requirement.

Depending on how you look at it, the maximum bonus money bet can make playing through your wagering requirement more of a challenge.

As a result, the bonus wagering requirement and the maximum bet are there to even up the playing field or we wouldn’t have online casinos because they wouldn’t make any money.

Rounding Up the Maximum Bonus Bet Rule

This is such a simple rule that you may wonder how it justifies an entire blog covering the topic. Well, that’s exactly what you’re about to find out.

No matter how simple a bonus rule is, you can always learn more about how different variations of that rule work. The same can be said for the Casinoplusbonus guide to ‘What is bonus expiry?

That simple rule resulted in a blog requiring a ten-minute read and a little mathematical calculation on your behalf to determine which bonus expiry works best for you. Likewise, understanding the various maximum bet rules has resulted in a reasonably lengthy read.

In the end, the message is that the more you know about each bonus rule and the intricate details for each of those rules, the more value you’ll get from your bonuses.

FAQ

Why is the max bonus bet rule important?

You need to make sure you bet under this amount when you use bonus money to bet on any casino game to avoid casino abuse. Casinos often refuse to convert bonus money to real money if they see you exceeded the max bonus bet upon reviewing your bonus play.

What happens if I go over the max bonus bet and lose?

It isn’t worth the risk. However, to extend an olive branch here, if you accidentally bet over the maximum and lose, luckily for you, this does not affect your bonus balance, and the casino will not count it as bonus abuse.

How do I avoid becoming a bonus hunter?

It depends on your style of play. Sometimes, you may skip from casino to casino using no-deposit bonuses with the aim of hopefully winning real money. If you do this, there is no avoiding being a bonus hunter.

Is being a bonus hunter against casino rules?

Not exactly. No online casino is going to prevent you from signing up if this is your only account. However, casinos put processes in place to reduce the number of bonus hunters, which is part of the reason (not the whole reason) why max bonus bets exist.

What happens if my casino’s bonus terms do not mention a maximum bonus bet?

In the UK, when no max bonus bet limit is stated, then there isn’t one because, according to the UK Gambling Act 2005, casinos must place all terms and conditions in their bonus rules. The MGA and AGCO licensing authorities also have similar rules, yet when it comes to Curacao online casinos, you should ask the casino’s support team to confirm.

Do real money bets count towards wagering requirements?

Real money bets do not count towards meeting wagering requirements if the casino uses your real money balance before the bonus balance. If the casino uses real money and bonus money bets simultaneously, then the real money bets usually count towards wagering unless the bonus terms state otherwise.